Electrical Accidents in the Mining Industry, 1990–1999

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cawley, James C.
• Description:
  This National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study was conducted to focus future research on the most significant electrical problems in the mining industry. Data from 1,926 mine electrical accidents (including 75 fatalities) that occurred during 1990-99 were studied. Coal and metal/nonmetal operator- and contractor-reported data are presented. All data used in this analysis were Mine Safety and Health Administration closeout data, except 1999, which were preliminary data. Electricity was the 4th leading cause of death reported in mining despite being the 14th leading cause of injuries. During the 1990s, 1 of every 26 mine electrical accidents was fatal. Burns were the leading "nature of injury" in electrical accidents, but were rarely fatal. Electrical shock caused 70 of the 75 electrical fatalities reported. About one-half of mine electrical accidents and fatalities were sustained during electrical maintenance. The injury severity for victims of nonfatal mine electrical injuries does not increase with age in victims 50 years and older, unlike many other types of occupational accidents. High-reaching mobile equipment is involved in about 20% of mine electrical fatalities, which indicates that overhead power line hazards need to be addressed. Electrical accident narratives containing the six most frequently mentioned keywords were isolated for further analysis. Technical suggestions for mitigating electrical hazards are proposed. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Burns Coal Coal Mining Electric Injuries Electricity Metals Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Coal-mining Electrical-burns Electrical-hazards Electrical-safety Electrical-shock Electrocutions Injuries Metal-mining Mining-industry Nonmetal-mining Traumatic-injuries

  More +
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISSN:
  0093-9994
• Publisher:
  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PRL - Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  39
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20023892
• Citation:
  IEEE Trans Ind Appl 2003 Nov/Dec; 39(6):1570-1577
• Contact Point Address:
  NIOSH, Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA 15236
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2004
• NORA Priority Area:
  Research Tools and Approaches: Control Technology and Personal Protective Equipment
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:90389cda4e787fa4404ea5d60d1c5377d9a4fa6b3a8e95dac88ea2a04273a0b81104fd81fb05df5eea722d2bb2e7427a6742e296a282253118b592e4547d620a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/220739/cdc_220739_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.24 MB ]